1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for retaining, to a connector housing, a front holder in an electric wire connector for preventing a terminal from falling off.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a connector having a housing body including a terminal accommodating chamber for accommodating a terminal therein, and a front holder for preventing the terminal from falling off from the terminal accommodating chamber. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S62-64076 discloses a structure for retaining the front holder to the housing body.
The front holder includes a pair of or a plurality of resilient retaining portions and resilient pieces, and if they are strongly pushed into the housing body, the resilient retaining portions and the resilient pieces are engaged with hooks on the side of a housing, and the front holder is retained to the housing body.
If a large external force is applied to the above-described front holder, the resilient pieces are bent and engagement with the corresponding hooks on the side of the housing fails. In order to prevent this, the rigidity of the resilient piece must be enhanced but if so, there is a drawback that further large force is required when the front holder is inserted into the housing body, and the operation becomes extremely difficult. Further, if the rigidity of the resilient piece is increased, it is difficult to release the engagement state, it takes time and labor to detach the front holder from the housing body, and there is an adverse possibility that the hooks for retaining the resilient retaining portions and the resilient pieces are damaged.
Thereupon, it is an object of the present invention to provide a retaining structure of a front holder and a connector housing capable of enhancing the operability for retaining the front holder to the housing body, and easily detaching the front holder from the housing body without damaging the front holder.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the front holder comprises a housing body having a retaining portion, a holding arm having a retaining projection, and a flexible connection portion for supporting the holding arm so that the retaining projection can be engaged with the retaining portion. If the front holder is inserted into the housing body, the holding arm rocks, the retaining projection climbs over the retaining portion, the retaining projection is engaged with the retaining portion, and the front holder is retained to the housing body. In a state where the front holder is retained to the housing body, if a force is applied in a direction releasing the engagement between the front holder and the housing body, the retaining projection abuts against the retaining portion so that the holding arm tries to rock in a direction opposite from the direction releasing the engagement. Therefore, the retained state between the front holder and the housing body is maintained.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the retaining projection is formed in a direction perpendicular to the inserting direction of the front holder into the housing body, the retaining projection includes an abutment surface which abuts against the retaining portion in a state where the retaining projection is retained to the retaining portion. In a state where the front holder is retained to the housing body, if a force is applied in a direction releasing the engagement between the front holder and the housing body, the retaining projection abuts against the retaining portion. A third aspect of the present invention includes structures of the first and second aspects, and the retaining projection includes a slide guide inner surface which slides on the retaining portion to guide a rocking motion of the holding arm when the front holder is inserted into the housing body.
When the front holder is inserted into the housing body, the slide guide surface slides along the retaining portion to bend the flexible connection portion, thereby rocking the holding arm.
A fourth aspect of the present invention includes structures of the first to third aspects, and in a state where the front holder is retained to the housing body, a space is formed between the housing body and a rear end of the holding arm in the inserting direction inserting the front holder into the housing body.
In the state where the front holder is retained to the housing body, the jig is inserted into the space to rock the holding arm, and the engagement between the retaining projection and the retaining portion can be released.